Churro Chips

Churro Chips, Cinnamon Tortilla Chips, whatever you want to call them; they’re basically the most awesome and easy-to-make dessert recipe ever invented. If you love churros, you’ll love these. They capture all the flaky, cinnamon sugar goodness of a churro, but packed into crunchy homemade tortilla chips.

What Are Churro Chips?

I’ll tell you what Churro Chips are in just a minute. However, let’s take a step back and first talk about what a churro is. Churros are a popular dessert made of fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. If you’ve ever been to a carnival, or been alive for more than a few years, you’re probably familiar with these; they’re basically elongated cinnamon sugar doughnuts and they’re friggin awesome! Though that may seem straightforward, it’s actually a bit of a mystery where these tubular delights originated from. Some believe they originated in China, some say Portugal, and others say Spain. What is certain is that this wonderful dessert recipe made its way to South America around the time of the Spanish Inquisition in the 1500s and they’ve been spreading like a sweet rumor ever since.

And, well, Cinnamon Tortilla Chips (Churro Chips) are basically a spinoff, capturing the same crispy texture and cinnamon sugary goodness of churros. That’s it. They’re made in the same way that Homemade Tortilla Chips are made by frying them in hot oil. Finally, cinnamon and sugar are sprinkled onto the greasy chips to the effect that smiles begin sprouting on faces immediately. Your kids will love them, you’ll love them. We’re done here. Now, let’s talk about how to make Churro Chips!

Churro Chips Recipe

For measurement values and full recipe details, see the recipe card below.

• Flour tortillas – I use 8-inch (taco size) flour tortillas. These create a normal-sized chip.
• Cinnamon and sugar – The best cinnamon sugar ratio is 1:4 which means that you would mix 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with 4 tablespoons of sugar.
• Olive oil – I use olive oil because it’s a healthier oil. However, you can just use vegetable or canola oil as well. Let’s face it, this recipe isn’t consumed for its health benefits.

How To Make Churro Chips

1. Cut tortillas. First cut the tortillas in half and then slice individual triangle shapes out of each half. This can be done with multiple, stacked, tortillas at the same time.
2. Heat oil. Add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.
3. Fry the tortilla triangles. Add a handful of tortilla triangles to the hot oil and cook on each side for only a few seconds until they become golden brown. Flip tortilla triangles using either a spatula or tongs.
4. Remove from oil. Take the chips out of the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Let the chips cool slightly.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the homemade tortilla chips.

Can I Bake Them Instead?

Ah, yes you can! Baked Churro Chips are just as delicious as fried. Here are the steps to bake them.

1. Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Brush triangles with oil. Brush both sides of each tortilla triangle with oil.
3. Place triangles onto baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with a single layer of tortilla triangles and bake them for about 10 minutes or until golden-brown, checking them frequently and flipping them so both sides are evenly cooked.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Remove tortilla chips from the oven, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top of them.

What Size Tortillas Should I Use?

I find it easier to work with the 8-inch (taco-sized) tortillas. You can cut a more normal, chip-length, triangle shape from this size of tortilla. If you use larger tortillas, you’ll get larger chips. But hey, that may be your thing; big ole giant monster-sized Cinnamon Chips. I will not judge you for this, ever!

Serving Suggestions

If you think of Churro Chips as nice large shards of flaky pie crust, the topping ideas will just start flying at you. Anything fruit, anything ice cream, anything caramel. You get the idea. However, let me just give you a quick list to set you on your way!

• Cover or dip Churro Chips in Blueberry Sauce.
• Dip them in Strawberry Chia Jam.
• Top them with fresh fruit, nacho style.
• Serve them alongside a nice scoop of vegan ice cream.
• Cover them with apple pie filling.
• Dip them in Nutella or drizzle chocolate sauce over the top of them.

The topping ideas for Cinnamon Tortilla Chips are pretty endless.

Storing Suggestions

It’s my firm belief that these Churro Chips should really be eaten fresh off the skillet or out of the oven. These Cinnamon Tortilla Chips lose their crunch quickly. However, if you really must store them, keep them in an airtight bag where they will keep for up to 2 days.

More Vegan Sweets

• Blueberry Toast
• Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
• Baked Apple Oatmeal